They say it takes a village

Starting the semester without starting classes is a new experience for me. I am neither teaching this semester nor taking classes. I am of course working. I am consulting in the writing center and serving as the WPA intern for the Syracuse writing program. In addition, I have formed my exam lists and have begun reading from them consistently. Although it is liberating to be reading texts that I am personally invested in, I do miss the the conversations with colleagues that come from shared readings.

It’s not easy coming to terms with my new role as mother and 3rd year PhD student. I read when I can. I draft emails while the baby is napping and work on tasks that I can complete in a short amount of time. I take advantage of the time when my husband is home from work and can take care of the baby, so far this has been working-albeit not at the pace I was hoping for-but nevertheless progress is appreciated. Fortunately, I have parents that are willing and able to come visit for large chunks of time. While feeling a bit overwhelmed, I placed a much needed call to my mother and asked her when she and dad could come visit. Clearly distracted by her urgent need to buy a wedding shower present for my cousin, she casually said she wasn’t sure when/if my dad would be willing to travel out from California, so I decided to call him and ask. My dad is a man who doesn’t like to “waffle about” so he merely said of course they’d come visit all they needed was for me to figure out flights and dates for them. I opened the computer and started researching flights for them as soon as I hung up the phone. Their tickets are booked! They are coming at the end of the month for three weeks in order to help me concentrate on my reading.

As the youngest of three, I’m used to having family around that can help. I’ve been lucky to have large support systems most of my life and I miss that being so far from home. To be clear I have made incredible friends and have immense support here too, but family adds a sense of comfort that only they can provide.

No matter how old I get I only am further convinced that none of us achieve our goals all by ourselves. Family, friends, and mentors (formal or not), play a huge role in all my achievements large or small. Everyday I am full of gratitude for that and only hope I am able to provide such support to my son, my family, and others who may need it.